Personalized Real-Time Location-Based Travel Management

1. A personalized real-time location-based travel management method, the method including the steps of (a) obtaining, by a computer processor, a departure point and a destination point for multimodal travel input from a user; (b) generating, in the computer processor, a list of multimodal candidate routes for the user including one or more modes of travel between said departure point and said destination, wherein the computer processor is shared by a plurality of users, which includes the user, to generate respective routes for the plurality of users; (c) obtaining, by the computer processor, a selection from the user of a first route from the list of candidate multimodal routes, acquiring travel information relating to the first route selected while the user travels the first route, and providing the travel information to at least one of a personal travel assistant of the user or the computer processor while the user travels the first route; (d) analyzing, in at least one of the personal travel assistant or the computer processor, the travel information to detect an unexpected event during travel of the first route and generating an alternative list of candidate multimodal routes in response to said unexpected event; and (e) purchasing, by the computer processor, an alternative multimodal route, from the alternative list of multimodal candidate routes, among different transportation providers during travel of the first route by the user, wherein the alternative multimodal route contains sub-routes provided by different transportation providers.

2. The method of claim 1 , comprising the step of using a web interface to enter departure point and the destination point, then choosing one of the candidate routes proposed and then booking that route.

3. The method of claim 1 , comprising the step of making travel information selected from a web interface available to said personal travel assistant.

4. The method of claim 1 , comprising a step of predicting, by the computer processor, that a previously planned connection will be missed during travel prior to a scheduled time of the previously planned connection, and proposing the alternative list of candidate multimodal routes to the user.

5. The method of claim 4 , comprising a step of computing a probability that a future connection will be missed or reached.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the position of the personal travel assistant is sent to the computer processor and compared to the schedule for determining unexpected events.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein only one or more route segments concerned by said unexpected event are computed.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein a new list of candidate routes or routes segments is proposed to the user in reaction to said event.

9. The method claim 1 , wherein displacements of the plurality of users are monitored for determining if the alternative list of candidate multimodal routes or route segments should be proposed.

10. The method of claim 1 , comprising simultaneous optimization of multiple routes for multiple users taking into account different user preferences.

11. The method of claim 1 , comprising a step of recommending, with said personal travel assistant, information for booking additional tickets needed for the alternative multimodal route.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the computer processor offers users a route insurance using information to calculate insurance premiums, the information including at least one of predictions for a risk of travel delays, or missed connections or cancelled flights from evaluation of travel information, wherein the travel information pertains to at least one of a current route network or statistic information on past routes.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein, in case of unexpected events, the list of alternative candidate multimodal routes is proposed or ranked in function of the coverage by the user's insurance.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the route planning is executed for a shipment of one or more packages, wherein user preferences are determined via one of the computer processor, a logistics service provider, a transport manager, one or more of the couriers along the route, or the sender.

15. An IT system comprising a server configured to execute computer-executable components, the computer-executable components comprising: a non-transitory, computer-readable medium having stored thereon: a database for retrieving information relating to different multimodal travel routes; and a database for retrieving information on user preferences; and at least one computer processor coupled to the non-transitory, computer-readable medium, the at least one computer processor configured as: a routing engine for providing a list of candidate multimodal routes, between a departure point and a destination point input from a user, based on said information relating to different multimodal travel routes and said user preferences, wherein respective routes on the list of candidate routes include one or more modes of travel, wherein said routing engine is further configured to monitor travel information related to a multimodal route while the user travels the multimodal route, to analyze the travel information to detect unexpected events, and to purchase an alternative multimodal route among different transportation providers in response to said unexpected events while the user travels the multimodal route, wherein the alternative multimodal route contains sub-routes provided by different transportation providers.

16. The IT system according to claim 15 , wherein the route planning is executed for a shipment of one or more packages, wherein user preferences are determined via one of the IT system, a logistics service provider, a transport manager, one or more of the couriers along the route, or the sender.